National College Football Champions

Prior to 1998, the National Collegiate Athletic Association recognized as unofficial champion the team selected each year by press association polls of writers and coaches. After 1998, the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was implemented to determine the NCAA champs, using polls, computer rankings, schedule, record, and quality win factors. Changes made in the 2004 season narrowed down the process, with the system employing the AP media poll, the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll, and a computer average. Continuing the format started in the 2006 football season (2007 bowl season), the four BCS bowls (Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, and Orange) will be held Jan. 1–3 and the championship game will take place in New Orleans on Jan. 8, 2008. Florida beat Ohio State 41–14 in the Jan. 8, 2007 BCS Bowl Championship in Glendale, Ariz.

1936

Minnesota

1937

Pittsburgh

1938

Texas Christian

1939

Texas A & M

1940

Minnesota

1941

Minnesota

1942

Ohio State

1943

Notre Dame

1944

Army

1945

Army

1946

Notre Dame

1947

Notre Dame

1948

Michigan

1949

Notre Dame

1950

Oklahoma

1951

Tennessee

1952

Mich. State

1953

Maryland

1954

Ohio State and UCLA

1955

Oklahoma

1956

Oklahoma

1957

Auburn and Ohio State

1958

Louisiana State

1959

Syracuse

1960

Minnesota

1961

Alabama

1962

So. Calif.

1963

Texas

1964

Alabama

1965

Alabama and Mich. State

1966

Notre Dame

1967

So. Calif.

1968

Ohio State

1969

Texas

1970

Texas and Nebraska

1971

Nebraska

1972

So. Calif.

1973

Notre Dame and U. of Ala.

1974

Oklahoma and So. Calif.

1975

Oklahoma

1976

Pittsburgh

1977

Notre Dame

1978

Alabama and So. Calif.

1979

Alabama

1980

Georgia

1981

Clemson

1982

Penn State

1983

Miami (Fla.)

1984

Brigham Young

1985

Oklahoma

1986

Penn State

1987

Miami (Fla.)

1988

Notre Dame

1989

Miami (Fla.)

1990

Colorado and Georgia Tech

1991

Miami (Fla.) and Washington

1992

Alabama

1993

Florida State

1994

Nebraska

1995

Nebraska

1996

Univ. of Florida

1997

Michigan and Nebraska

1998

Tennessee

1999

Florida State

2000

Oklahoma

2001

Miami (Fla.)

2002

Ohio State

2003

Louisiana State and So. Calif.1

2004

So. Calif.

2005

Texas

2006

Florida

1. USC was ranked number 1 in the polls and number-2-ranked Louisiana State won the Sugar Bowl. Had LSU and USC met in the Sugar Bowl, there would have been only one champion.